The tire company said its new press is capable of making fabric belts up to 102 inches wide.

The Akron, Ohio, tire manufacturer said the upgrade is its second in two years and will help the company serve growing markets. The new press, which makes heavy-duty steel- and fabric-reinforced conveyor belts, provides more versatility to the facility, Goodyear said.

The company said its new press is capable of making fabric belts up to 102 inches wide, adding capacity and reducing product-changeover downtime by freeing up other equipment for longer production runs.

Mike Braucher, marketing manager for Goodyear's conveyor belt business, said the first product being cured on the new press is Goodyear Plyon Plus, a premium fabric belt that will be shipped to a copper mine.

"In addition to the capacity increase," said Braucher, "the new equipment frees up other cure capacity, including the press used to produce Goodyear Flexsteel steel-cable-reinforced belts, which ultimately can translate into shorter lead times for customers."